Madam Speaker, during the first session of Parliament I served as one of the members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. It is a job I took very seriously since I was one of the select few given the job to look after justice legislation on behalf of 295 members of Parliament.
The most troublesome problem I encountered as one of those members was the Liberal government's deliberate fast tracking of legislation through this House. For example, last year with only two weeks left before the House recessed for the summer, Bills C-41 and C-68 were brought before the House for report stage and third reading, although they had been reported out of committee weeks before. The minister deliberately waited until the eleventh hour and time allocation was used to limit debate and thus exposure for both of these contentious bills.
The most recent example of this undemocratic fast tracking is this bill, Bill C-45. Since 1993 the Reform Party has been asking the justice minister to repeal section 745. The justice minister waited until there were only eight sitting days left for the House last June, knowing full well that the bill could not be properly debated in that short period of time. The most important point is that with only eight days for debate, this allowed only one day for study and review by the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs.
There is no way on earth that proper analysis could take place in just one day. This is an insult to the whole process and certainly an insult to the victims of crime who tried so desperately to have section 745 repealed. It also was very repulsive to the number of witnesses who wanted to appear before the committee.
In order to let the Canadian people hear a sample of what these witnesses had to say, I would like to take this opportunity to present the testimony of Joanne Kaplinski. She said: "I am a survivor of a murder victim and have been forced to endure a judicial review under section 745. It would also appear that because of the law of the day, I will be required to live through that ordeal yet again, as the co-convicted has advanced his application".
She tells the story of how her brother Kenneth was robbed and later shot twice in the head at point blank range. Forensic evidence revealed that he in all probability was made to kneel before his killer. His decomposed body was found two months later.
She goes on to state: "We, Kenneth's survivors, also received life sentences and became initiated into a very exclusive club, probably more exclusive than the Canadian Club, but it is a club that I assure you no one here would ever want to join. The initiation is the death of a loved one by violence. Membership dues are extracted from us each and every day of our lives as survivors of such violence.
"In sum it has been over 18 years coping with the aftermath of those two parolees' actions. We got on with our lives, or rather we got on with picking up the pieces of our shattered lives, but never would we be able to look at the world with the same eyes again. Evil was no longer some ethereal concept, it was real and tangible. I think our profound despair came from being forced to look into the abyss, the depth of human cruelty and suffering.
"In December 1993 we once again were forced to revisit that same abyss and relive what we had to go through in 1978. All our pain of course was resurrected by the section 745 application of one of Kenneth's murderers.
"We the public feel duped by the machinations and doublespeak of bureaucrats. By making available this section 745, however reworked, the Liberal government of the day is sending a message to Canadians across the country that murder in this society will be tolerated. I think that conveys a very sad statement about the value of our lives, yours and mine, as Canadian citizens. Fifteen years is not adequate denunciation for the wanton destruction of human life. My brother Kenneth was, by volition of those convicted, sentenced to death, and that sentence for Ken was eternal and irrevocable".
As can be seen from this witness's comments, to have a bill of this magnitude fast tracked as it was through the justice committee is appalling. There are many more witnesses with compelling stories. Time will not allow me to convey their thoughts and certainly this Liberal government did not allow them the time to convey their thoughts through the proper channel of the justice committee. It is clear that the whole process of not studying the bill and not giving everyone an opportunity to share their information is nothing but a direct insult to the victims' families who worked so hard throughout this nation to repeal section 745.
After this mere one day analysis, the bitterness started to set in with these witnesses. They felt they were just shoved aside. One of those people was Darlene Boyd. She later sent me a copy of a letter she wrote to the justice minister about issues she had to get off her chest. Her letter is as follows:
Since being in Ottawa to testify before the justice committee, which I felt was a rushed and last minute formality, I have had the opportunity to examine Bill C-45.
My feelings, as you know, concerning section 745 are total repeal. Thousands of Canadian people have supported and continue to support total repeal, believing repeal is the only concrete measure that will keep first degree murderers where they belong, in prison for at least 25 years, this being the maximum punishment provided to us by your government for premeditated first degree murder.
I also understand Mr. Nunziata's Bill C-234 has expired in the Speaker's hands. Bill C-234 should have been voted on for the third time in the House before Bill C-45 was ever presented. Is there no priority given in matter of sequence? John's bill drew positive results for repeal from many Liberals. My question to this is what political pressure suddenly made them support amending rather than repealing section 745?
I am receiving letters every day, as I am sure Mr. Rock has been, from people demanding total repeal. These people I have never met, but truth in sentencing is what concerns them. Most feel betrayed by our justice system.
Mr. Rock has said he is listening to the Canadian people. Bill C-45 does not demonstrate this.
Mr. Rock, you have referred to us as the "victims industry". We never classified ourselves as part of any industry. We are ordinary people who have paid a price far too great to establish such a petty organization. We never asked for this fate and we are not victims, we are survivors.
There is one thing I need advice on and that is how to tell our son, who has not yet put his life back together since his sister's murder, that the man convicted and sentenced to life in prison will be applying for and probably will be granted his day in court to tell everyone what a good person he has become in the past 15 years.
Who will take responsibility when he falls apart? Bill C-45 will be guilty of this crime.
My family is three people. There are hundreds who will be affected if section 745 is not repealed.
Does the charter of rights not protect us, or was it written just for murderers?
I appeal to you not as politicians, but to anyone who holds family and friends dear. Because murder shows no bounds, please reconsider repeal and make it impossible for these killers to once again exploit my family and the families of others.
I have thousands of these letters from victims. I visit them in their homes and at rallies. I am sure the member for Kingston and the Islands has never been to a victims rally. He would not know what they are all about. However, when I spend time with these people, I for the life of me cannot understand for the slightest moment why we would adopt a bureaucratic procedure such as Bill C-45 over the good common sense of the people all across Canada who are screaming and demanding loud and clear: "Repeal section 745".
What is the matter with a government that will not listen to the people? It is called tyranny and it is time that tyranny was crushed.
Please bring back Bill C-234 and repeal section 745 on behalf of the Canadian people.